I've Got You Under My Skin
by Skylar Tsukiyo
Summary: She told herself that she wouldn't do it again. Never mind his wonderful smell that lingered under her nose long after he was gone, or the sensation of his skin against hers; He was bad news and smitten with her, but why? Warning: Smut, EWE set four years after the final battle.
1. Chapter 1

AN: Welcome to I've Got You Under My Skin. I tried to do a Ronione and it failed miserably so I'm back to what I do best: Dramiones. This one might be a tad cliché but it is still good, I think. Enjoy and review in that order if you please.

* * *

Chapter One

That ice cold feeling of regret vibrated throughout her whole body for a solid two weeks after what she came to know as The Incident. Every time she closed her eyes she could feel him on her and taste him, and smell his alluring aroma as if he was right next to her. It was almost enough to make her want to seek him out, but she wasn't that desperate or stupid enough to make the same mistake twice. Her head told her to cast a memory charm on herself so that she would forget but her heart to her to cling onto each bittersweet memory that she ran over several times a day. Her fascination with The Incident was bordering on obsessive and no amount of logic or reasoning would help her figure out what to do.

Hermione picked up the note off the bedside table that he had written her two weeks ago and reread it for the thousandth time. "Anytime," it said, and she had been spending her every waking moment overanalyzing the meaning of his letter to her. That one word had driven her crazy and every time she heard it out loud she would get that cold chill right under her skin and suppress a wild shiver. Why she hadn't thrown the letter away yet was still a mystery. To her, the letter meant something, even if their brief affair didn't. What that meaning was also happened to be an unsolvable mystery. At first, she had tried pouring her mind into work but her workplace reminded her of him in every possible way. They had reunited there after years of not speaking or even seeing each other, and it was there that he decided he would kiss her, inevitably drawing her in. What happened after that was just nature. Anyone would have done it after a powerful kiss like the one they had shared. At least that's what she told herself at night. She didn't believe it yet but practice makes perfect.

Her eyes lingered on the word again before she brought the parchment down to her nose. It smelled like him. Her eyelashes fluttered at his scent and she let out a slow, deep breath. He smelled like the woods and those Granny Smith apples that he always ate. Damn him for smelling so good. If by "anytime," he meant that he wanted her to come to him then he was out of his mind. Hermione was much too stubborn to give into that mind of temptation twice. The first time was just an experiment, a test to find out just how desirable he could be when he wasn't tossing insults or scowling at her. He had passed the test so she saw no reason, other than the ever growing want she had for him, to go to him again and let his masculine hands grope and caress her backside slowly and seductively. There would be no second time; she would see to that even if she died resisting him.

Each night she dreamt of the moments preceding her sexual indiscretion. The words that came out of his mouth were the trouble. If he hadn't talked to her then she never would have seen him any differently for that split second and she wouldn't have let him disapperate them to his place where he proceeded to shag her until she was breathless. There was no use in pretending that she hadn't enjoyed it. The only use now was forcing herself to make sure that it never happened again.

* * *

He closed his silvery blue eyes and played the scene again in his head. Ever since that night it was all he could think about and he was craving for more. The only problem was that she hadn't made an effort to come see him. She knew where he lived so he didn't understand what was stopping her from coming over. It had been the best night of his life and he wanted to relive it. Surely she felt the same way. She wasn't human if she didn't feel that way. Her sultry moans echoed in his ear like a broken record, and if he tried hard enough then he could still feel her warmth on his bed and smell her exotic berry shampoo on his pillow.

For the first time in his life he was glad that he had agreed to take the Dark Mark. If he hadn't then he probably would have been killed by his father and then he never would have met Granger that night at St. Mungo's.

The mark had been bothering him. At this point in his life it was a faded scar rather than a moving tattoo since the Dark Lord had been dead for three and a half years. He remembered that he was looking at his bare arm after just getting out of the shower, glaring at the indenture and wishing angrily for its disappearance when he had had a thought. His mother had said something about modern medicine techniques at St. Mungo's and then suggested to him that he should try and get the scar removed. Draco had scoffed at the suggestion, feigning cynicism so that he wouldn't be too disappointed if the Healers failed him. When he arrived at the hospital he was directed to the right floor and then escorted to a private room where he awaited the one who would rid him of his misery. When Granger walked through the door, wearing a lime green lab coat with her boring brown curls up in a stylish half bun, half pony tail and her almond brown eyes skimming over a patient clipboard, he could feel the blood rushing into his phallic shaft and the sensation of mid-air suspension rushing into his stomach. He was nervous and aroused all at once and she hasn't even looked at him yet. When her eyes lifted up to meet his own, he was tempted to run very far away and never come back but his boner kept him planted in his seat.

"Malfoy?" she had said without a hint of malice in her voice. "What are you doing here?"

For a moment, he could have sworn that he had heard concern in her voice but he knew that was his imagination. Why would she be concerned about him? He said nothing but lifted his sleeve to show her his battle wound.

"Let me guess," she had said. "You want me to get rid of that?"

Her tone only turned him on that much more. Draco had shrugged his shoulders and looked at the wall to his side. "I was told that you could. It's fine if you can't. I'll just live with it like I have for the past three years. Don't worry, it's only mildly torturous." His tone wasn't cold, but hopeful almost. He had high hopes of walking out with a clear arm if not a clear conscience.

"You're my last patient of the day and then I get to go home. It's not like I can refuse you service just because of the things you used to say and do." He couldn't help but notice the way she'd emphasized the words "used to." She had walked over to him and took his arm in her hand. She waved her arm over the scar then ran her finger down his forearm. Within a few seconds the scar was gone but he wasn't even thinking about that. The sexy clink of her heels and the way she touched him was enough to make him want to pull her under him and straddle her, so the fact that he had grabbed her arm next and pulled her into a kiss didn't surprise him one bit. His hair was still a little wet from his shower and drops of water were dripping onto his nose as their lips massages each other. Three drips later and he was actually shocked that she hadn't slapped him or pushed him away. Two more drips later and he was still kissing her. One more drop and he had broken the kiss himself, pulling her into his embrace and taking them to his place, landing them right on his bed.

He had wasted no time in taking off his shirt and unbuttoning his trousers. Draco took great pleasure in watching her throw her lab coat on the floor and pulling her hair out of that stupid bun. He ran his fingers through her hair before ripping her shirt off and slipping her skirt onto the floor. He told her to keep the heels she had on and kissed her neck, her left breast, the spot just under her naval and then her lips again before sliding his hardened cock into her wet and ready center. She had gripped his back with her nails and gasped as he pushed into her again and again.

He kept opening his eyes and looking down at her sweaty naked body to make sure that it wasn't a wild dream. He drove his member further into her while she arched her back. The view of her jiggling tits was more than enough inspiration for him to continue. Her shouts and moans were pleasant; not too loud or obnoxious. When she came he could have sworn that she had said his name but he had been too busy coming with her to notice exactly what it was that she uttered. When he left the room to take another shower she was resting on his bed. When he had returned she was gone, vanished. He knew that she would be back so there was no need to worry. The shock of what they'd just done had affected him as well, but instead of wearing a somber grimace he had a wide and satisfied smirk.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

"Hermione Granger, you are an idiot." She was staring at her nude reflection in the full body mirror on her bathroom door as she said this, and she couldn't have felt more like a crazy person. After all, sane people don't sleep with former enemies with no clear reason why. Sane people don't let people named Malfoy run his hands all over her body and passionately ravage her. Nothing justified her actions. She had just let The Incident happen as if it were the most natural thing in the world, as if they were old lovers. It just so happened that they were neither old lovers or a natural pair. She had slipped up in the worst way possible. Why? She had no clue, no excuse, no legitimate reason for doing what she did.

People like Hermione Granger did not act on impulse. So perhaps it wasn't an impulsive decision after all. Maybe there was an underlying issue deep inside of her that provoked her to sleep with Malfoy. Or maybe it wasn't so deep. It could have been the fact that she was a bridesmaid at her ex's wedding and a few of the guests kept comparing her to the bride, saying how it should have been her up there exchanging vows with Ron Weasley. Now that she thought about it that made more sense than nothing.

Ron had married some pureblooded French-English witch about a month ago named Quinn Moreau that he met while he was in Auror training. He never cheated on Hermione with Quinn but she was the first one Ron went to after they broke up three years ago. Ron and Quinn were a nice solid couple. She doted on him and they never argued, he was sweet to her and his family loved her too. They were on their honeymoon now, no doubt trying to get pregnant since it has always been a dream of Quinn's to have a big family. The entire thought made Hermione want to lose her lunch.

The worst part was convincing her brain that she couldn't get more of what she undeniably wanted. She had to keep telling herself that he had died or that he didn't want to see her, regardless of the most recent letter from him that asked in only two words if she was "still alive." Clearly, the only way a woman would refuse Draco Malfoy was if she had died or something equally as tragic had happened to her. Until she figured out why the name Quinn Weasley affected her so much that she let Draco Malfoy share a bed with her then she would not let him share one with her again. No, wait. That wasn't right. She would never let it happen again. Why did she need to indulge in a guy like him when there were more gentlemanly types knocking on her door and asking for dates instead of ripping off her clothes before even asking how she was? A part of her was beginning to think that the act was all premeditated on his part. He hadn't hesitated in taking her arm and snogging her like there was nothing better to do. If that was his way of saying thanks then she was in for a world of trouble if he ever ended up in the hospital again.

* * *

"Is everything all right, Hermione?" asked her coworker, Wayne Burton, while they were doing their rounds at the hospital. Wayne was tall and lean with dirty blonde hair and a killer pearly white smile. All his patients fell in love with him because of his great looks and even greater personality. He'd been friends with Hermione ever since their trainee Healer days and she had a sinking suspicion that he fancied her, considering that he kept asking her out on the pretense of just "chilling" after work.

"I'm fine," she lied, without breaking eye contact with her clipboard. "I'm just a little tired."

Wayne looked her over and waved his hand in front of her face. She either didn't notice it or it hadn't bothered her enough to push him away. "No, something is definitely wrong with you. You've been reading that same word for ten minutes. Your eyes aren't moving. What's going on?" She didn't say anything back to him so he snapped his fingers a few times in her ear. "Hermione?"

"Yes, what is it?" she asked in an irritated manner. "I told you I'm only tired. I haven't been getting any sleep lately and it's taking a toll. Besides that I'm just peachy." She led them into the break room and took a seat at their usual table.

Wayne sat across from her and studied her face. "Why don't you just tell me the whole truth?" he offered kindly. "Maybe I can help."

Hermione snorted. "I seriously doubt that."

"Ah," said Wayne, knowingly. "So it's man troubles. Don't tell me you're still hung over your ex getting married? I thought you were over that."

"I am absolutely over that. Don't be ridiculous. I have way more pressing matters to attend to and worry about rather than Ronald and his perkily perfect wife."

He sensed her irritation and moved on. "So it's another man then. In that case I can most certainly help you out. What's his name? Do I know him?"

"You are so nosy." Hermione sighed and gazed into her coffee cup. She had been obsessing over each hot Malfoy moment for the better part of a month now and it was started to show on the outside just how mad she was for thinking about him.

"I think I know just the cure for you, actually," said Wayne suddenly. He wet his lips after she licked hers and tried desperately hard not to stare at them while he spoke to her. "You should go out somewhere," he decided, after a long inner argument on whether or not he should touch her face.

"Go out?" she said skeptically, like she'd never heard the words put together before. "And who exactly am I going out with?"

"Well, me naturally."

"I don't think so, Wayne."

His jaw dropped at her quicker than wind response. He knew she wasn't into him that way but he was hoping that he could change her mind. She wasn't even willing to give him a chance. "How can you not think so when you hardly even thought about it?"

Hermione smiled shyly into her cup and looked away from the look of rejection on his face. It was funny and kind of cute. "Dating coworkers is prohibited, Wayne. It's hospital policy."

"I'll quit right now."

She arched her eyebrow at him and smirked. "Don't be absurd. You live for this job."

Wayne scratched his head in thought and groaned. "Well, it's not a date then. Just two people going out after work on the occasion that one person is a little droopy lately."

"Droopy? That's how you'd describe me? Well, how can I say no to that? Such a tempting and generous offer."

He shrugged off her sarcasm and looked right into her eyes. "I just want to help."

Hermione sighed and set her cup down. He was awfully sweet and a very good looking guy, but she just couldn't see him the way he wanted her to. Anyone else would have said yes in a heartbeat but Hermione wasn't anyone else. She was the girl who had a sexual history with Draco Malfoy and that fact was driving her mad. She didn't think she deserved to go out with anyone after that. Of course, if said history was affecting her work performance and other people were noticing how off she was then she had no choice but to give Wayne's rehabilitation method a chance. "All right. McLaren's Pub on Thursday. I don't have to work and I know you get off early. Don't stand me up, either."

Wayne could feel a massive amount of weight lift from his heart at her acceptance. He had been trying to get her to go out with him for two years now and she had always given him a flatline no or an excuse for why she couldn't. He wondered what was different about this time but was afraid that if he asked then she would change her mind. "You will not regret this, I promise. And I won't stand you up, it's not a date remember?"

She rolled her eyes and got ready to get back to work.

* * *

Damn Granger still wasn't answering his owls. What about him was so resistible that she wouldn't even do him the courtesy of writing back a simple no? He thought it had been a good lay. It was a great lay actually, otherwise he wouldn't be going out of his way to get more of her. Damn that Granger and her pride.

She probably felt conflicted about shagging him when they spent years on a last name basis only, spitting out cruel statements and calling each other horrible things, mostly on his part. Her being the bloody Duchess of Gryffindor, class A representative of all things good and he being something like the opposite of that. But they were past all that, weren't they? He had seen her naked for Merlin's sake! Why couldn't she just forget the past like he had? She had a great body and she knew what to do with it. What was so bad about showing him what she knew? True, he had proven to be morally bankrupt in the past bit what did that matter really? He wasn't asking her for her hand in marriage, just for a few more nights of sensual pleasure with Granger; a week at the most. Well maybe more than a week. She owed him that much, after all. She had an obligation to fulfill and he wasn't satisfied with her being dodgy.

Draco was too proud to beg. Always had been and he always would be. He would never beg for sex. He might fight a bloke for it but he would never stoop to getting on his knees and asking. That was the girl's job. Draco Malfoy was no girl. He was used to people just succumbing to his will. She did it before so why couldn't she just do it again?

He was going to send her one more bloody letter and if she didn't respond then he was going to go after her himself.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

"You cannot be serious," she whispered to herself as she looked out the peephole of the door to her apartment. On the other side of the portal was a pale blonde nightmare that she had hoped would go away. He had sent her yet another owl yesterday that contained another blunt message. "Come over," was what it said. "You know where I live." Hermione had taken the note and the other two and threw them into her fireplace angrily. It was true that she knew where he lived but she hadn't known that the opposite was true for him. She didn't open the door but continued to stare out the little hole and gasp internally. He looked like he was getting impatient.

"I know you're right there. There's no use in hiding, Granger. I won't go away until I see you."

She waited a moment before doing anything and placed her hand on the doorknob. She hasn't expected him to sound that close. He was right up on the door.

"Just open up and save me the trouble of blasting it off."

She softly swung it open at his threat and glared at him. He had a smug look of satisfaction on his face and she could tell that he was eyeing her lustfully. It pissed her off. "What?"

"What?" he repeated in disbelief. "You've been ignoring me so I thought I'd pay you a little visit."

What an arrogant bastard. "Some guys can take a hint," she spat out through her teeth. "Why aren't you one of them? Why won't you go away and leave me alone?"

He winced and sucked air through his teeth as if she had genuinely hurt his feelings. "Easy, Granger. I'm starting to believe you don't like me anymore."

Her jaw unhinged itself at just how arrogant he was. Where did he get off? She had never liked him. Not even when he was laying on top of her and giving her the best sex of her life did she like him. Of course that was an arguable fact. She was only twenty two. There was plenty of time left in her life to decide who was going to give her the best sex of her life. Draco was only the best so far; that didn't mean he would be the best ever. "What are you doing here?"

The instant she let her guard down was the instant he let himself inside. His arm purposefully brushed up against hers as he strolled past her and into her bedroom. She followed him in there with her arms crossed and looked at him incredulously. What on earth was he thinking? Before she had the opportunity to ask, she found that he had taken hold of her wrist. He pulled her on top of him on put his hand on the nape of her neck so that he could force their lips to meet. They were kissing even more fiercely than the last time and it felt so good that she forgot how much she didn't want to go on with it.

Still, she didn't pull away but she moaned into the softness of his tender kiss and let her body collapse onto his. She thought about pulling away, she thought about grinding her knee into his crotch and injuring his genitals, but she didn't do either of those things. She could feel his other hand massaging the side of her stomach and then her upper thigh, and then nothing else mattered but getting him as naked as possible.

This time she was only slightly more aware of how reckless she was being and it still didn't matter. She wanted him and for the moment there was no use in denying it. Her tank top went up over her head and the boy shorts she was wearing found their way to the floor. She backed up on the bed until her back was on the headboard and waited for him to finish peeling off his boxers before unhooking her bra and slipping off her own underthings. She kicked the cotton knickers off of her foot and shook in her skin as he licked her inner thigh and teased her wet slit with his eager tongue. A throaty groan escaped her as he worked his way around her sweet southern peach. It was official: he was a seductive evil genius whose specialty was making her weak enough to give into him.

She was panting in pleasure, trying so hard to catch her breath, and gripping the mattress like she wanted to tear it open. His tongue writhed whimsically in and out of her center, then he thumbed her slit while he licked. Not even a minute later she had come right into his mouth. Why was he so damn good at this?

He pulled her leg down the bed so that she was under him and he kissed her full on the mouth. Tasting her own juices was weird but not horrible. It was tangy and new. She was aching for more of his handiwork by the time her body had cooled down from her orgasm. He must have sensed her inner desire because his fingers were back down there just as soon as she thought of how bad she wanted him there again. He kept his lips on hers, fingering her until his whole hand was covered in her sticky release. Just when she thought she couldn't possibly come again, he let his member glide into her tight wet core and she shouted involuntarily into his mouth. He bit her lip and toyed with her chest simultaneously, all while heaving and grinding into her.

Her eyes were closed, mostly because she was terrified of what would happen if she opened them. She knew it was him on top of her and she knew it wasn't a dream. Dreams didn't feel this real or this good, at least not any dream she'd ever had. If she opened her eyes then she would have to face the fact that she was willingly engaging in several sexual activities with Draco Malfoy and that she was enjoying it. This way she could pretend it was someone else pummeling into her person and making her orgasm with the snap of his fingers. But did she really want it to be someone else? There wasn't another man eligible for the job at this moment. Malfoy had been the only man consistently on her mind for the past three weeks and before that she hadn't ever fantasizes about anyone, not even Ron. She didn't have a boyfriend or anyone else to fill the role, or the hole, that Malfoy was filling now. So in the end, it didn't really matter if she opened her eyes or not. Of course she was still mortified at the thought and kept them closed. She forced them shut even tighter when his warm semen poured into her and his penis slowed down in movement. He had stopped completely but her skin felt hotter than ever. Her brain was a hazy fog and she just knew that she would have a love bite the next day on her neck and thigh but, she put the thought out of her mind. She had shut down and fallen asleep, naked and in the arms of a very happy Malfoy.

* * *

When she woke up, it was Wednesday morning and she was alone, or so she thought. The night before had seemed to be an immensely graphic mirage although she knew what had happened. She had fallen for it again."It" being whatever trick he used to get her into bed with him. She couldn't tell if it was a magic thing or a purely physical attraction thing but she didn't care. Thinking about it was the last thing she wanted to do. The first thing she wanted was to do was take a shower. After stretching and wrapping her still sweaty body with a towel she waltzed into the bathroom.

Upon further examination she found that Draco was still there and that he was already using her shower. Her first instinct was to scream but screaming never benefitted anybody, especially not her muggle neighbors. "What are you still doing here?" she asked before she could stop herself. Her original plan involved her going back to bed and feigning sleep until he left, if he ever did leave.

"Care to join me, Hermione?" His head was poking out of the shower door and she could see his soapy everything.

"Don't call me that," she said with a scrunched up nose. "And could you leave now? Or maybe just finish your shower in your own place?"

"Your name is Hermione, isn't it?"

"Yes, but I don't want to hear it coming out of your mouth! You're only saying it because you know it'll bother me." Why was she taking crap from Malfoy in her own house?

He didn't say another word to her until all the suds had rinsed off of his body. He stepped out of her shower and she shoved his clothing from yesterday into his hands almost immediately. "Do I have to leave right now? I could give you a repeat performance if you like. And we both know just how much you'd like it," he teased.

"Please just get out. I have to leave for work in like two hours and you're slowing me down." She was seconds away from slapping him over and over right in his stupid stubborn face but he kissed her on the cheek and disapparated, probably sensing just how furious she was about to become. Instead of a shower, she chose to take a bath and filled her tub with hot water while wishing that she was sad enough to cry about what was happening to her.

How many times was she going to let this happen? How many times would his method of grabbing and groping her work? Why did it feel so good in the moment and so bad after it was over? Her current lover was her former enemy. The more she thought of figure out why she should stop letting him take control of the situation and start reliving her life as a woman with incredibly routine habits, the more she wanted him to come back and shag her right there in the tub. It wasn't fair of him to assume that he could have her whenever he wanted, or at all really. There were rules to courting and the nicer guys who liked her followed those rules just fine. They let her decide when she wanted to see them instead of just barging into her apartment without warning. They asked her out on proper dates and they didn't obsess over her if she rejected them, at least not openly obsess anyway. The one problem with all these super nice, super funny and even majorly attractive men asking her out was that she didn't get that same feeling in her gut that Draco gave her whenever they touched her. That's what was driving her mad. They were better and more compatible people out there for her. Wayne was one of those people and tomorrow she would prove it to herself and to Malfoy that she didn't belong to him.


	4. Chapter 4

AN: Sorry for the break. I was stressed but now I am back and better than ever. Even more smuttier as well. I've figured out how to piece the last chapter to my plans for the rest of this story. Surprises around the corner…

* * *

Chapter Four

Hermione stood at the western style swing door of McLaren's and started a mini panic attack. She was in no mood to play the part of a girl interested in what Wayne had to say to her when Draco had dropped by earlier and snogged her within an inch of her life just as she was getting dressed for her non date. It was rude of him to stop by whenever he wanted and just come at her, acting like he would die if they didn't rub up against each other every few days. He acted so clingy and tasted so marvelously decadent that she had lost track of time and now she was late to meet Wayne.

It was half past seven in the evening. He might have been waiting for her since forty five after six and that would make her a lousy friend-slash-non date. If she hadn't gotten so entranced by Draco's giving tongue in her privates then she would have gotten dressed faster and she wouldn't be thirty minutes late. Her outfit consisted of a medium length belted blue skirt and a tight white blouse with a brown zip up jacket. It was a modest selection that said "I'm not that into you, but I'm not that opposed to you either." She was so nervous that she was too scared to go inside and see if he was still in there waiting for her.

Just as she was about to turn around and leave, Wayne came out and put on a huge, award winning smile. If Hermione was a better person she might have fallen in love with him right there, but she was too far gone on the brain with a certain former Slytherin to appreciate how good Wayne looked or how truly wonderful he was.

"There you are," he said. "I was starting to think you weren't coming. Gave me a bit of a turn, actually. I was thinking that you wouldn't have stood me up without saying something in an owl at least, so I thought something might have happened to you." He was considerate, as well. What a fine catch. Too bad he hadn't asked her out before the Malfoy fiasco started.

But something had happened to her, all right. She had been pinned onto her mattress and tongued by a man she could hardly stand when they weren't sideways cavorting in her bed. Her throat was still a little sore from the shouting. "I had something to take care of," she claimed as she cleared it. "But I'm here now. Don't worry it was nothing too major, just a call from my parents."

His expression calmed and he escorted her into the bar. "You look nice," he commented as she slid into their booth and he slid across from her. "I think it's been ages since I've seen you out of uniform. You're a bit more... Er... You look nice."

"Thanks," she muttered while playing with her thumbs under the table. She could still feel Draco's lips kissing her inner thigh and she was trying to keep the soft moans of pleasure from escaping her lips. He had left a core impression on her body and she was not appreciating it. It was getting to the point where he was looking tolerable as far as shag mates went. The problem there was that she didn't want a shag mate. She wanted something real and serious. Something not Malfoy. She told herself that more than fifty times a day and because of his expert shag skills, she still didn't really believe it.

Wayne watched her avoid eye contact then took a look down at the menu. Something about her was different. She seemed lighter, almost like she was glowing but she didn't appear to be particularly happy about whatever it was that was making her glow. His eyes popped over the menu every now and then to look at her. He found her simply stunning. Gorgeous, even. Her hair was brushed out for what seemed like the first time in two years and it was in a low pony tail held right by her ear. The want to reach out and caress her face was not far off from his thoughts. It only increased when she would lick her lips while she studied the menu. "So, they keep pairing you and me to do rounds together, the Healers-in-charge do. Have you noticed?" He was desperate for conversation at this point. Five whole minutes had passed and she hadn't uttered a single word, which was just unlike her. Hermione talked all the time. It was one of the things he liked about her because her voice was so pleasant and soothing.

Her brain had wondered off again with more thoughts of the pale haired sex god and she had to focus hard to grasp what Wayne had just said to her, so that she wouldn't have to ask him. She didn't want to seem rude, although that's exactly what was going on. Thinking about another man while on a date was most definitely filed under rude behavior. "I thought you asked for us to be paired off. You asked me last month about the shifts I had to do for this one and told Marie that you wanted the same ones." She looked up and his eyes were glued to his menu so she put hers on her lap.

"Right. How did you know that?"

Hermione rolled her eyes and looked up at him. "Marie told me."

"Right." Damn those gossipy females in the higher ups. "Is there something wrong?" Wayne asked tenderly, seeing the shocked expression that took over her face.

She had gone paler than a Hogwarts ghost. Walking over to them in that very moment was an undeniably sexy looking, yet slightly aggravated Draco Malfoy. He looked even more desirable when he was agitated. Before he could reach them, and no doubt embarrass her until she dropped dead, she stood and stammered a bit with her voice, not really sure how to talk anymore. "I — I have to get — I mean there's something outside I dropped. It fell out of my handbag. I'll be back in less than a minute. No, no don't get up. I can manage just fine. Wait for me here, okay?" she nearly begged.

Wayne nodded and perversely watched her bottom as she quickly sashayed out the entrance.

When she reached the outdoors, she exhaled out so much breath that she was sure that her soul had gone out with it. Not too long after, the cocky ferret had come out too, and he still looked simultaneously sexy and aggravated.

"What are you doing here?" Draco asked with mild confusion, his tone low and soft.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" Fury raged through her blood upon looking at his face. What was wrong with him that he thought that he could screw her and stalk her around town? They were by no means in a proper relationship. She was his top shag mate. Probably his only shag mate since his every waking moment was spent stalking her and making her cum like a fountain. The point being that they were not in a concrete relationship. She was free to see whomever she wished and it was her wish to get on with Wayne so that she could forget about Draco. "I'm on a date. Have you been following me?" she asked, desperate to hear him say no.

"A date? A date, really?" He sounded like he was spazzing out but he didn't care. "So you get to act like Lady Mysterious all day long when we're in public but when I'm under your sheets at night and stroking your clit with my tongue I'm perfectly welcome? Why are you still punishing me? It's been long enough with the torture. I'm sorry already. All right?"

Hermione gave him a look of complete and utter confusion. What in fresh hell was he talking about? Surely, he had gone mad. He thought she was punishing him? Whatever on earth for? If anyone was being punished or tortured then it was Hermione. She was waking up in the morning and glaring at herself in the mirror, as it was the reflection of a girl who had lost her morals and became used to shagging this obviously insane man. "Are you feeling feverish, Malfoy?"

"What? No. Why would you ask me that? Don't change the subject. I want to know what makes you think you can toy around with my emotions."

Her jaw quite literally dropped at his proclamation. She was toying around with him? "I… I am not… 'toying' with your emotions. You and your huge ego found their way back into my life only so that you could take advantage of my body and cast me aside when you're finished slash bored with me!"

Draco could feel his blood starting to boil. This woman really did make him beyond furious. She was an expert at making people angry. "I've been casting you aside? Who kicked whom out of their apartment the other day? I wanted to stay and maybe get breakfast. I'm finally willing to change for you, Hermione, and you're still treating me like the guy who wasn't ready to make a commitment!"

She didn't quite understand where this rant was coming from but she wasn't about to stand for it. Where did he get off turning the tables on her? This argument was about how he had popped back into her life and starting shagging her for no reason… wasn't it? "I hardly call turning up at my flat every now and then for sex a 'commitment.' At the most, you've been a consistent and confusing bother. Why are you acting like such a… like a…" And that was when it hit her. He was acting like a jealous boyfriend. Coming in on her date, shouting at her, following her around all day long like some lost puppy waiting to be picked up. It all made a bit more sense now. The remaining question on her mind was why he had taken up the part of the envious love partner in the first place. "Have you bumped your head recently?"

Draco blinked at her for what seemed like an hour before answering her out of the blue question. "No," he spat out angrily. Why did she keep asking if he was ill? What exactly was she playing at? "Have you?"

Just then, Wayne came out and put his arm around Hermione's shoulder. He looked back and forth from Hermione to Draco and smiled at them both. There was a thick tension floating in the air but he ignored it blissfully. "Everything all right here, 'Mione? Did you find what you were looking for?"

Draco eyed Wayne, suspicious that the latter was an idiot beyond repair then looked over to Hermione. He knew how much she hated it when people called her 'Mione. Draco had learned to hate it as well. "Yes, Granger. Find it yet?"

Hermione swallowed and kept eye contact with Malfoy. Something strange was going on between them and it was important that she find out what that something was, so that she could stop it immediately. Anything linking her to him couldn't have been good in any way, shape or form and it made her nervous that something like that existed out there and that it was strong enough to make her bare skin to him.

"We should go inside now, don't you think? The waitress isn't too keen on waiting for us to order any longer. I had to slip her a fiver just to keep our table," Wayne chuckled.

"Right. Well in that case, you should go I think," Draco said bitterly. "Have a nice night, Granger. See you later." And with that, he disapparated, leaving Hermione to stand by Wayne's side and shudder a little.

* * *

His last words to her resonated in her mind and body well after Wayne took her home an hour after their confrontation.

She was in bed now and staring at the ceiling, trying to piece the puzzle together. Ron and Quinn had sent her about a dozen post cards from Mexico or Tahiti or wherever, Harry was working undercover for the Auror's office in Ireland so he would be gone for at least a few more weeks, Ginny was on tour with the Holyhead Harpies, and she didn't feel comfortable talking to anyone else about her Malfoy problem. She didn't even think talking to her friends would help. They might have her committed to an asylum if they knew that she was fooling around with him. For now, she was on her own.

Her thoughts revolved around him, no more than usual these days, but she would start to get a migraine each time she tried to think about why he had sounded and looked so hurt to see her with someone else. As much as she hated to admit it, what her and Malfoy had was a casual affair. He of all people should understand that. Not that he was a playboy or anything but Hermione never considered him to be the type that took relationships seriously, especially one with someone like her. It was obvious that he had looked past his blood prejudice since he was talking to her like she was a human being but it wasn't so clear why being with her mattered so much to him. What had he meant when he said that he was ready to make a commitment? Nothing was adding up anymore and the more she thought about it the bigger a migraine she got.

She half expected him to come see her tonight but figured he wouldn't since it was past two in the morning and she had been home for hours. Maybe she was going a little insane but some part of her missed him in the strictest sense that she needed to clear up their little misunderstanding, naturally. The room was quiet, she was alone and she felt more lonely than ever.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Four weeks, three days, eleven hours and forty-five minutes had passed since the very first Incident. That day had completely rearranged her life and way of thinking. His love making was infectious to a near fatal degree. She hadn't actually seen him since he crashed her date last Friday and yelled at her for not committing to him. That had been weird. What was weirder was that he hadn't bothered to come after her either. Was the fiasco finally over? Did she scare him off? Highly doubtful. He was angry at her but she didn't think he was that angry. Moreover, did he even have the right to be upset with her? He had taken to talking to her as if they were old friends or past loves. He claimed that he had changed. What was that all about? She spent her hours at work racking her mind for repressed memories of her having any kind of relationship with him, but it only made her migraine worsen.

She was holding a patient's chart in the break room, hiding the fact that she was making notes of past Malfoy encounters after the war. If she couldn't think of anything without further splitting her headache then she would have to talk to him about it and she really didn't want to do that. Before she had taken his scar away, she had seen him twice after the final battle. The first time had been at the Ministry of Magic during his hearing and the second time had been in Diagon Alley about a year ago. He had been shaking hands with Ollivander and a few other shop owners of the alley because of the money he'd had charitably donated. That was all she could remember. She circled his name on the paper and underlined it twice. She was missing something dangerously important. When had they ever been romantically involved? Why had they broken up and how did things get to be as they were now? Was he making it all up? Was she the one at fault here?

Her thoughts were interrupted by Wayne as he took a seat next to her. He was holding two cups of coffee and he handed one to her. "What have you been up to in here all by your lonesome? I was just looking for you."

"Just doing some thinking," Hermione said absentmindedly. She really wanted him to go away before he asked her out on another "date." The last one had started in disaster and she honestly did not want a repeat performance. Besides that, there was no spark between them. Not like the spark she had with Draco. Even when they argued there was a spark. Of course, beggars couldn't be choosers, could they?

"So, about the other night…" he started carefully. Wayne and Hermione had yet to talk about their after work excursion but he had questions looming and he didn't know where he stood with her. They had had a nice enough time after that Malfoy kid had gone home. He really liked her. He knew she didn't like him as much but she could learn to, eventually.

"We probably shouldn't talk about it here. They could be listening," she half joked.

"I just wanted to know how you knew Malfoy and what he was doing there anyway. He's not your ex boyfriend or something, is he?"

For all she knew, Draco very well could be her ex. "We both went to Hogwarts. He was kind of a bully to me." Sometimes she forgot that Wayne went to school in America, living with his dad as a child and teenager and only came back to the UK to work and become closer with his mother.

"He's not still bullying you, is he?" Wayne chuckled nervously.

"In a manner of speaking, he is," she said in her head. Or maybe it was Hermione who was doing the bullying? She wasn't sure of anything anymore. "Was there something specific about him you wanted to know?" she said out loud.

Wayne shook his head and sipped his drink. "Not really. Do you want to go out again with me on Sunday?"

"That's tomorrow, Wayne. Did you mean next Sunday?"

"No, I meant tomorrow. You have off, right?"

"You would know." She had formed a habit about teasing his semi stalking her but it didn't stop him from doing it. "What did you have in mind?"

"Er, um…" he actually didn't have anything in mind because he was certain that she would say no. "Well you could meet me at the butterfly exhibit in muggle London. They're displaying different breeds and I thought maybe you'd like to see them."

"Butterflies, Wayne? Really?" she asked with a skeptical tone.

"No, not really. I was only joking. How do you feel about sports?"

"I'm not a huge fan of quidditch if you're asking me to a game. I don't like flying."

"Flying? No. I meant muggle sport, cricket. There's a pit where they let you hit a ball around. I think it's similar to the batting cages for American Baseball. Anyway, it sounds like it could be fun. I know there's no pro baseball around here. Cricket's the national sport, isn't it?"

The cricket nets were a little heavy for a second date. She had gone once when she was ten years old. Her father had taken her and they went with a friend if his and his son, who was around Hermione's age at the time. She couldn't remember if she'd liked it or not. "I've been there before. It's kind of like the batting cages."

"Fancy going again?"

She could tell he really wanted her to say yes and it was a bit too early to simply write him off. He was trying so hard, after all. "Tomorrow?"

Wayne nodded. "I won't tell anyone here about it and I doubt we'll see anyone we know there. It's in a muggle town."

"Well," she started. Was it really okay for her to keep stringing him along? She still had to figure out why Draco had become so taken with her and if she was forgetting a promise or something that they had made in the past then it wasn't really fair of her to keep seeing Wayne, even if she didn't really like him. In fact, that made it seem worse. "I guess it wouldn't hurt to go and see for an hour or two." I have to go see my mum and dad in the morning but how about two o'clock? No, wait. How's three?"

"Three's fine," he said giddily. I'll meet you there at the entrance."

The PA radio system starting calling for Wayne, paging him to the other side of the hospital. Hermione internally sighed at the fact that he would be leaving but she gasped aloud as he pecked her cheek with his lips before heading out. Maybe it did hurt to go out with him, especially if he was getting the wrong idea about their relationship. Kissing at work? That was a very bold move and a little inappropriate.

Her hand touched the spot where he'd kissed her and she found herself comparing that kiss with the one Draco gave her before he'd left her place after he had spent the night. It had been in the same spot, although Wayne's felt a bit more like Harry's platonic pecks rather than Draco's simple yet sensual quickies. The truth was that she just wasn't attracted to Wayne. It would be wrong to continue going out with him without talking to him and telling him that she didn't want to go any further than friendship, but she put it out of her mind and stirred her now chilly coffee with a little red straw. She had more pressing things to worry about.

* * *

The night sky fell over England quicker than Hermione would have liked it to. The clock struck ten, a signal that meant it was time for her to clock out and go home. She thought of going after Wayne and canceling their date but he had to work for another hour or so and she didn't feel like looking him. The kiss he had given her had disappeared, figuratively. It hadn't stuck on her cheek the way the Draco's did so the only proof she had that it had existed was her memory.

She usually worked late on Saturdays and her routine was to go home, make a milkshake and drink it while watching a little television until she fell asleep. But tonight, she didn't feel like having a milkshake or even a spoonful of ice cream. In fact, the thought of anything dairy related made her feel a little uneasy in her stomach and she wasn't in the mood to watch tv when her life felt so much like a drama show already. Instead of doing her standard after work Saturday bit, she got in the shower for the second time that day and let the water run down her face, through her hair, and all down her toned body. It was cold. She didn't care. She felt cold on the inside, as well. She wasn't hungry despite the fact that she hadn't eaten anything since lunchtime, but she had that lonely feeling again and her headache had reappeared out of nowhere.

After a few more minutes of rinsing off her body, she ran a soapy washcloth all over her skin and washed her hair, still thinking about how little she wanted to go out with Wayne again. They were friends and they had been for nearly three years, so why couldn't she just let him down easy like all the other times he had asked her out? Why was she forcing herself to get on with him anyway? It was clear that Draco was an issue that wasn't going to go away and going out with Wayne that first time had only made things catastrophically worse. Draco liked her more than just being shag mates and Hermione liked him too, obviously. Otherwise she wouldn't be trying so hard not to like him. It would be easier to shut him out of her life if she didn't like him even if they had slept together.

She got out of the shower and dried off quickly, then dressed in a tight fitting nightgown that her mother had gotten her for her birthday a few months ago. She pulled a sweater on over her head and took a wire brush through her hair. It was still wet and it had a slight curl to it. It was long down her back since she was growing it out ever since Ron had introduced her to Quinn with her bloody locks going all the way down to her perfect bottom. Now that she thought about it, she had no real reason to keep growing it. And with a swiftness that she couldn't recall having later, she grabbed the scissors off of her nightstand, pulled all of it into an even bunch and snipped it off at the base of her neck. She chuckled at how easy it was to cut off then swept it up and threw it out, still in a deep trance. It looked better this way. She felt better this way. She looked more like herself with mid length hair anyhow.

Hermione pushed some stands behind her ear and checked her complexion. Her skin was paler than usual and she felt flushed but still not hungry. What was wrong with her? Her hair was in the waste basket and she had just taken a very cold shower. She looked like a ghost and she felt like someone was thumping her head with Thor's hammer all throughout the day. It was almost one o'clock in the morning, she still wasn't hungry or feeling up to going out with Wayne.

So without giving it a second thought or even putting shoes on, she left her apartment by disapperating and landed on Draco Malfoy's doorstep in the middle of the night.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Hermione was cold. Well she was shivering really. Her legs were not covered much at all by her nightgown as it only went down to the middle of her thigh, although her sweatshirt was helpful. It was the middle of March and she was standing outside of Draco's door half naked and with no plan as far as what she was going to say to him. He was probably still cross with her. That would explain why he hadn't come over once in almost nine days, not that she was counting. Her fist was banging on the door before she realized what was going on and moments later she was looking into the eyes of a very grumpy looking Malfoy.

His clothes, boxers and an opened button down shirt, and silky blonde hair were ruffled and messy, and his eyes were squinting and kind of red. He was the spitting image of someone who had just been woken up at an ungodly hour. His eyes changed from squinting to glaring when he realized that it was Hermione at the door and she looked down from his face to his toned torso.

Because her feet had no shoes or socks over them, she was experiencing just how cold the concrete was under her toes and how much it hurt to stand there. Great. She had gone with an impulsive decision again, facing an irritated Draco on his front steps with no idea as to what she should say. She had to get out of her apartment because of how weird she was feeling in there, and his place had just been the first one she thought of when she left. No speech prepared, or should she be apologizing? The look on his face was one that portrayed how hurt he was and how angry, so perhaps she should open with an apology. Whatever she started with, she had to say something soon. Five minutes had gone by since she'd arrived and it was starting to rain. Perfect.

"What?" he said finally, noticing the droplets of water falling from the sky and onto Hermione. "Do you know what time it is?"

She nodded slowly and sniffled a bit. This was mortifyingly awful. Barely clothed outside in the rain and now she had to be humble all of a sudden? "I — I wanted to say that I'm sorry."

Draco's facial expression softened and he moved to the side of the doorway to let her in. The rain was starting to come down hard and she wasn't wearing much of anything. "You came here in the middle of the night to apologize to me?"

She nodded again. "Why else would I be here?"

"Beats me," he shrugged, as he moved into the front room.

Hermione wasn't sure if she should follow him or not. "I didn't know how serious you were… about us, I mean."

"And why not?" he practically snarled. "I fucked up, I know, but that was a long time ago and I thought that when you kissed me at the hospital that you were ready to forgive me." He sounded grumpy, as if her knocking had woken him up from a whole lot more than just a dream.

Hermione shook her head in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"Would you quit playing dumb? It's not a very cute look for you. You kissed me after I came to St. Mungo's and I brought you back here, remember? I thought that meant that you were willing to try again. I come back from the shower and you're gone without even leaving a ruddy note!"

"You kissed me!" she said, nearly cutting him off. "And so suddenly, I might add, that I figured that I didn't mean all that much to you, and that I was just another evening lay. I didn't expect you to want anything else to do with me after that. Okay, so you don't hate me anymore, and fine, you're actually a better person for what happened to you during the war, but how was I supposed to know that you wanted a relationship out of one measly night in your bed?"

"Measly?" he scoffed. "There was nothing measly about it. I made love to you just like I did before and you loved it just as much, if not better than you did last time."

"What?" Wait.

"What?!" Hang on.

They stared into each others eyes for what seemed like hours and in that time, they both calmed down a little.

"Are you—"

"Did you think I was—"

No. There was absolutely no way. They were talking about two completely different things.

"Hermione, you… you're acting like it never happened," he huffed out.

"Like what never happened?" She sounded scared. Concerned. Upset.

"Like we never happened."

Good gobstones. The headache was back, only more fierce this time, like it was coming from the pit of her core to set fire to her forehead. Hermione closed her eyes and took a deep breath, let his sultry scent corrupt her fully, ran past him and into his bathroom, and got sick right into his toilet.

They had been together? Like legitimately together? In a relationship, together? She kept her eyes closed and hurled once more into the john. He was mad. He had to be. It was the only logical explanation. Her stomach settled for the meantime but she kept her hand over her closed mouth just in case, not trusting her body on the chance that she would get sick again.

"The thought of us being together makes you vomit?" Draco asked cynically from the other side of the door. "Really?"

She would have told him to shut it but she couldn't trust herself to speak, or shout for that matter. A bit of nonverbal wand work cleaned her mess. She used the side if the tub to get on her knees, and then the sink cabinet to hoist herself onto her feet. Weakness and shock had taken her over. They had been together. That much now was clear. It was more than a fling, or at least it had been before. So what broke them up, him not being ready to commit to her? Were they talking about being married? Exactly how long had they dated and why couldn't she remember any of it?

"Please come out. So that we can talk about this." He was actually begging her, based on his tone of voice. He didn't even sound upset considering the fact that she'd just dirtied up his bathroom.

Hermione looked down at the faucet and turned on the cold water. Her hands were already sweaty so it would have felt weird to wash them with hot water. Just as she was about to turn the faucet off, she noticed that there were two toothbrushes on the counter top. One was probably Malfoy's but the other one looked vaguely familiar. She squinted at it and gasped. "This is my old toothbrush!"

"What?" The water was on and she still had the door closed and locked so he couldn't hear what she had just said. It sounded like something about a foot brush?

It was a solid red toothbrush with a dark blue travel cap over it. Yes, it was definitely hers. She opened the cabinet and found her preferred toothpaste, then instinctively brushed her teeth.

Two minutes and thirty seconds later, she emerged from the facilities feeling a little shaky, trying to fight off the reappearing migraine that had come when she was freshening up. "You…" she pointed to the bathroom door and walked over to him. He was sitting on the bed with a sort of pathetic look on his face. Almost like he was pleading. "You have my old toothbrush in there."

He nodded and sighed. "You put it in there yourself like a year ago. The only reason I got one for me was because you kept bugging me about dental hygiene or whatever the hell it's called."

So he had taken up a muggle ritual for her. That answered her question of how serious they had been before. The migraine faded slightly but she sat down next to him just in case it returned, and it most likely would.

"Granger, what happened to you? Why did you come over here?"

She shrugged and looked down at his hardwood floors. "I feel like I've gotten amnesia."

"Am-what?"

"Amnesia. It's when you bump your head or go through some injury and it traumatizes you enough that you forget who you are or bits and pieces of your life," she explained carefully. "I came over here because I thought something was wrong. You were jealous of Wayne last week when we went out and it was a lot more than I was expecting. I didn't know we had a history! I'm still getting used to the idea of all that now. I didn't know me seeing anyone else would bother you that much because I figured you were sleeping with me just for fun."

He put his hand on hers and held it firmly. "So you're saying you forgot about me?" Once again, he sounded hurt, like she had pinned him to the ground with his foot and kicked him in the face repeatedly.

"What was there to forget? As far as I'm concerned, our first time was a month ago when you came to the hospital."

He kissed her hand and then her fingers individually, and then her wrist. "Then you forgot plenty. How do you know you weren't jinxed? Obliviated?"

"I don't know anything," she sighed, as he pulled her closer to him, breathing into his light kisses on her neck.

Draco smirked and continued to seduce her. If she had really forgotten how wonderful they had been together before the last month, then he had loads of things to remind her. "You're all wet from the rain."

"I am," she agreed mindlessly with a shake to her breath.

"These clothes should come off or you'll catch a cold." He helped her pull her sweatshirt up over her head and ripped off her nightgown carelessly. He probably should have been telling her about what they were and what they had until just recently, but he was much more in the mood for climbing on top of her and slipping into her. She had no objections which was a great pleasure. He hadn't had her in over a week and he was practically starving with lust for her.

* * *

AN: See my profile for a chapter schedule and other nifty treats about upcoming stories.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

They had been in an on and off relationship since July of 1999. She had been actively dating Draco for the past three and a half years. How did someone forget something like that? He had become such a big part of her life and she had for him as well. She had clothes left over at his place, two whole drawers and half a closet's worth, her toothbrush, he knew her favorite breakfast dish, and there was a picture of them kissing on his mantle of the front room fireplace. They had practically been living together before she went and forgot it all.

"I think you were cursed," he stated, just before kissing her shoulder. The sun had been up and out for a long while but they were lying in bed with his arm draped over her waist for what seemed like the first time in forever, discussing how she didn't know just how invested they were with each other. "You didn't forget me for no reason."

She didn't think that she'd been cursed. It was probably much less simpler than that. "A false memory charm mixed with a forgetfulness spell?"

"That cut out three years of vital information?"

"It's more likely than me being cursed," she said simply. "I have a different recollection of the last few years and you aren't in it. Someone must have tampered with my memory so that I wouldn't remember you."

He kissed her shoulder again and asked if she remembered anything now that she knew the truth and held her tighter when she shook her head no.

"Every time I try to remember something I get a headache. There's nothing up there left of you but what I know from the last four weeks. I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry," he insisted. "It isn't your fault. I hardly think you wanted to forget all of it anyway."

He was right. She didn't think she wanted to forget either. She wanted to remember and be the same Hermione she was when they were together and happy and in love. Had they been in love? "Why were we on and off?"

"What?"

"Why did we keep breaking up?" she asked softly. "Why did we break up the last time?"

He had been expecting this but didn't really want to answer the question. Draco frowned and hugged her as he spoke. "I was a prat."

Hermione closed her eyes and exhaled deeply. "I believe that but I want the specifics; a detailed explanation of why we stopped dating. How long did the breakup last?"

"I dunno," he stammered. "Six months, I suppose.

"So in August?"

"Er… yeah."

"What did you do?" she said sternly.

"Why do you assume it was something I did? Maybe you did something and I acted like a prat as a response."

"What did you do?"

"All right, all right." He sighed and spoke as close to her ear as possible. "You wanted me to reacquaint myself with your friends and get to know them better but I already know them and I don't like what I know. We kept fighting about that and every time you set up a meeting with them I would flake out at the last minute and after each time we would call things off, resume them a few weeks later, set up a new friends meeting and restart the whole process. Last time you told me to go to Weasley and his fiancée's engagement party with you and I stood you up there too. You wouldn't speak to me for three months and you ignored me every time I tried to talk to you. I thought when you saw me at your job and talked to me that you had forgive me so I kissed you. I couldn't stop myself from kissing you."

Hermione closed her eyes and tried to picture the things he had said in her mind. The smallest inkling would flicker on and off for a moment and then disappear. She couldn't see any of it but she believed that it had happened. Otherwise, why would being with him feel so familiar? There was nothing new about where she was right then. She felt as if she belonged in his arms. "So you kept letting me down and eventually I just lost faith in you?"

"You said I wasn't serious about things between us and that I didn't care enough to even try, and you were right then; I didn't want to try because I was afraid but it's different now. I've missed you just being here by my side. I would do anything for you. I'll even meet your friends, I'll meet your parents, I'll give up everything I have just to be with you. I don't want to lose you again. I can't take it. I love you," he whispered as he trailed his index finger up the side of her body and around her naval.

She smiled and resisted the urge to say it back. She didn't think she had the right to say it just yet even though every fiber in her being felt it outrageously.

"Please forgive me." It wasn't in his nature to beg, obviously. At least, not for sex anyway. But Hermione was so much more than that and would beg for a thousand years if it meant she would take him back. It was mushy to say something like that out loud but lucky for him it seemed that he wouldn't have to. She turned around in his arms and planted a long sweet kiss on his lips.

"You're lucky that I don't remember just how sour I was with you back then and that I believe in second chances. Although, by the sound if things I think this may be more like your fourth or fifth chance."

He stroked her hair and fell into her eyes. "That sounds about right. I won't make that mistake again. I swear it."

"I know you won't," she smiled brightly, putting her hand gently on his face and holding it there. It had been hours since they'd woken up and she wasn't used to being this lazy even on a weekend but she felt like she could lie in bed next to him all day long.

* * *

Where was she?

He was on the verge of having a nervous breakdown. It was nearing four o'clock in the afternoon and she was nowhere to be found. She hadn't sent him any post to cancel so he could only assume that she was either hurt or legitimately standing him up. But that simply wasn't possible. Hermione was too nice to stand anyone up. She was pleasant and angelic and beautiful and what the hell was wrong with her? Why couldn't she see how hard he was trying for her? He wanted her to give him a chance to prove that they could be great together but something always went majorly wrong when he made plans with her.

What about him was so repulsive? Was there really a better offer out there for her that she would just cancel without saying anything? They worked together quite closely. It wasn't as if she could avoid him. They were friends. Why couldn't they be lovers too?

He had been waiting for her since one thirty just in case she decided to come at two after all. She wasn't coming. He hated to admit it but it just wasn't happening. Now Wayne was angry. Furious, actually. He'd had a lot planned for them and she was being bad by ruining it. Wayne was very angry. He was going to kiss her today, this time on the lips and then she would have fallen for him!

He was ordinarily a very patient person. She had rejected him a total of nine times to date so he had already perfected the virtue, or at least he had before today. She had actually agreed this time but not shown up. That was the rudest thing a person could do. Before he asked her out the first time he had taken a good look at her and examined her behavior. He knew right away that she wouldn't fall for any old pickup line.

His first move had been simple: earn her friendship. His suspicion that she was the kind of girl who dated friends over total strangers had been correct. He did a little homework and found out that her past three romantic interests were people she knew from her going to Hogwarts. Krum, who had only occupied the castle on special occasion for one year, Weasley, who had been one of her closest friends, and Malfoy, who was ironically one of her worst enemies. Wayne didn't blame her for lying to him about how she knew Malfoy. He was a spoiled brat in Wayne's book. Anyone would be ashamed of him. Besides, she didn't know then that she was lying. Regardless, it was crucial that he earned her trust before attempting to ask her out. He had spent a whole year listening to her and doting on her and leading her into a comfort zone with him, all for nothing. She was already in an exclusive relationship with Malfoy, the only plus side being that they argued all the time and Wayne would play the shoulder to lean on when she needed it. Malfoy would let her down and he would be there for her at work the next day, trash talking the git for hurting her and insisting to Hermione that she didn't need him, that she didn't have to settle. When they broke up the first time, he waited a week, although he knew it was still too soon, and offered to take her out. From that point on he spent every golden opportunity he had asking her out on dates. Nine times in a row she had said no, but the one time she said yes had given him hope for the future. She said yes again and he planned on using his second yes to get all of his charms in. She didn't show up and he could only guess why. Malfoy had probably swooped in again and tried to convince her to go back to him. Wayne wasn't worried though. He had taken extra precaution in making sure that the git wouldn't succeed in taking Hermione away from him.

He went home after waiting another twenty minutes for her but sent her an owl once he was in the safety of the Wizarding part of London. This was a loss that he would take for now but in the end he would win, of that much he was certain.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

That next Monday Hermione had every intention of apologizing to Wayne for not showing up for their date, but he never came in to work. On Tuesday when he still didn't show, she went over to the schedule and saw that he had changed all his shifts to be opposite hers and now the only way she would see him was if she checked in as a patient or went to his house. He was obviously avoiding her but why? They weren't supposed to date anyway since they worked together and this was the reason. It caused unnecessary problems when they were on the job. Dating a coworker just wasn't possible and now she had made a mess of things by agreeing to see him that first time. She hadn't even worked up the courage to read the letter he had sent her.

Wednesday came around and she found herself with a new corridor patrolling partner. His name was Corbin Rhodes and he didn't talk much. He didn't tell jokes to her or make fun of the patients as they left the room, he didn't smile at her or try and get to know her, he was the most boring partner and completely unlike Wayne in every way. Whenever they took breaks, Corbin would take to gawking at her openly. Hermione would ask if there was something wrong but Corbin would only shake his head and continue to stare. "You look familiar," he had said once, but never elaborated on it. Of course she looked familiar, she was Hermione Granger for Merlin's sake.

By Thursday, Hermione had gotten used to ignoring him and just pretended that she was all on her own. It was depressing but it was better than trying to engage Corbin into conversation. She remained convinced that he had a screw loose somewhere. On Friday she decided to cut her losses and read the dammed letter. It was short and blunt but also sad.

_Hermione, I need some space. I'll come back when you start to see me differently. I'm looking foreword to taking you out again. Don't forget me._

He was a waving white flag, an admittance of temporary defeat. Hermione's eyes watered up out of guilt. Her indecisiveness when it came to Draco and forgetfulness of their meeting had caused Wayne to build a wall between them. She instantly regretted the way she'd lazed about all day on Draco's bed not even bothering to get up until dinner time. She felt bad about agreeing to meet him and then blowing him off without a first or second thought. It wasn't fair and now she had the unpleasant duty of telling him that she wouldn't ever be able to see him anymore because of her newly rediscovered relationship with Draco. Wayne was one of her best friends after all, it would be rude to keep leading him on.

She spent the rest of the weekend at Draco's city flat only leaving on Monday morning. They looked for ways to replace her memories and researched a spell that would give them back to her. It was a useless effort without knowing who had taken them away in the first place, but he promised her that her memories would be restored if it was the last thing he did, and she believed him.

Every night after work Hermione would go over to his place and they would try to solve their little mystery before sleeping together in his incredibly soft bed. Their weekend plans were to inconspicuously interrogate potential suspects and to finally introduce Draco to her friends and family as her proper boyfriend. She didn't know how much they knew about their relationship but she was hoping now as she avoided eye contact with Corbin, that they didn't know much at all. The last time she remembered seeing a Weasley was at Ron's wedding so the thought of facing a room full of them and telling them to accept someone who had judged her so cruelly as a child was pretty scary. First they would tell her parents, secondly they would tackle Harry and Ginny, who were coming back that night, from their prospective trips around the world for work, and finally they would tell his mother who was all alone in Malfoy Manor and silently mourning the loss of his father's death.

Her anticipation level for all of these meetings was low. In fact the last thing she wanted to do was have dinner with Narcissa Malfoy at her creepy post gothic mansion where she was tortured once physically and now she would probably be tortured verbally. She had until Sunday before she had to face Draco's mother, which gave her two days to mentally prepare. Hopefully that would be enough.

* * *

Draco took turns anxiously watching the clock on his bedroom wall and the door to his apartment. It was Friday evening and Hermione was due home any minute. Five minutes ago he sent his mother a letter that explained everything. He was supposed to tell her with Hermione on Sunday but his mother absolutely hated surprises and this way she would have time to get used to the idea.

Although, he wasn't too worried about seeing her reaction. It was Potter and Weasley that he didn't want to face. He hadn't seen either one in over three years and he was perfectly happy not seeing them. They didn't get along for several reasons. Draco saw nothing admirable about them and they felt the same about him. Why this was so important to Hermione was a confusing mystery to him but he swore to her that he would do it this time and he didn't want to lose her again over something so stupid. Naturally, his main concern was getting her memories of him back. It killed him that she didn't remember the times they spent together, or the way they'd started dating in the first place, or the specific moment they'd fallen in love with each other.

Just as he was in the midst of a reminiscent mood the doorbell rang and he shuffled over quickly to let her in and take her in his embrace. He opened the door and felt shock when he saw the same shaggy haired, cheery eyed weirdo that Hermione had been out on a date with. He was even more shocked when the weirdo took a fist to Draco's nose, landing on the floor of his foyer with blood dripping down his face. Weirdo stepped over him and give him one more hit in the eye, then another on his cheek. Draco was down for the count. He was too weak to get up and curse this fool within an inch of his life and too angry to let him get away with a few well placed sucker punches. Groans of pain escaped him as Weirdo stepped on his leg on his way back towards the door.

"Stay away from her if you know what's good for you," Cheery Weirdo breathed out in an aggressive possessive tone, no longer smiling with an offer of friendship. "I'm not afraid of you," he continued cockily. "I know exactly who you are and I can assure you that if you don't clear away from her that I can make your life hell in every aspect."

Not-So-Cheery Weirdo stomped off and slammed the door briskly, leaving Draco in the fetal position on the floor.

He couldn't remember ever feeling more furious. He had been invaded, attacked in his own home by someone he knew nothing about. The Weirdo had no right to come after him. What had he ever done to the Weirdo to deserve such treatment? Er — recently, that is. Nothing, that's what.

His wand was across the room and he was too sore to call for it. All he could do was wait for Hermione to get home so that he could share his good news. They now knew who had stolen her memories and replaced them with a completely different life. He had just walked out of the door, and if Draco had his way then he would be spending the rest of his life in Azkaban.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

"Wayne Burton did this to you?" Hermione gasped incredulously, as she finished tending to Draco's wounds. He'd been beaten up pretty good and was waiting when she got home. He looked so small and pathetic that she was tempted to leave him there. He had fallen asleep for about an hour waiting and his expression was priceless. It screamed, "I'm helpless. Please save me."

"Ow," he exclaimed, as she rubbed her finger up the bridge of his nose to check if it was broken. "The little prat came through here and shook me up. I'm telling you it was the same guy you were out with the other night at McLaren's, he was pissed beyond reason. Cheery eyed git came by and attacked me."

"I just can't believe it," she said for the tenth time. "And you think he's the one responsible for taking away my memories?" she asked in an unbelieving tone. "Why would he do that?"

He sighed at her cluelessness. "Because he wants you for himself."

"What?" she said, stunned by his accusation. Wayne liked her, yes, but he was not a violent person. He was happy and polite and calm. He wasn't the type to take things to a physical level.

"Hermione, think about what you can remember for a moment. Everything else is there except for the parts that include me. Someone wanted me out of your life and took advantage of the fact that we'd just broken up so that they could jump start this plot of theirs. You remember all your friends just fine, it's only me that's missing."

"But how do you know it was Wayne?"

Draco scoffed at her doubt. "He told me to stay away from you if I knew what was good for me. He threatened me because he's afraid that I would tell you what I know about us and he would lose you. Why else would he come here? I've only met him once. He has no other reason to have done what he did. The git."

Hermione sat back on the bed and thought about what Draco was saying. It made sense but she just couldn't picture Wayne doing something so horrible. They were good friends. Friends don't curse each other and erase each other's memories. "What if it was someone using Polyjuice Potion? It could have been someone incognito."

"I highly doubt that," he said matter-of-factly. "I'm amazed he came up with a plan like this. He's possessive, Granger. Possessive enough to cheat and make the odds favor him but it didn't work. Even with a false account of what's happened for these last few years, you favored me over him."

She rolled her eyes. "The only reason I favored you was because you got to me first. If he had asked me out sooner then I might have been with him and then you wouldn't have been able to seduce me the way you did." _Yeah, right_. They both knew that wasn't true.

"Tell me what you know about him," he asked suddenly, ignoring her last comment. They were going to have to get his wand somehow because that's where her real memories were and restoring them was going to be complicated.

Hermione still couldn't believe it. It was all so unreal. Wayne Burton throwing punches? Taking away her true memories? Would he really stoop so low just to go out with her? "I suppose it's possible but I don't like thinking that it could have been him."

"Trust me, it was him. It had to be."

Did she trust him? She'd be stupid not to. He had no reason to lie to her that she knew of. But the last Malfoy she remembered was a spoilt brat with blood prejudices. Granted, he wasn't the same person but she couldn't help thinking that this was all one giant dreamscape. "We met at the acceptance ceremony at St. Mungo's in 1998. He sat next to me and we shook hands. He said 'congratulations on getting into the program.' And I said 'thank you,' and then we introduced ourselves."

"Okay, what else?"

"He seemed pretty normal. He was nice and we've been working together on the same floor for almost four years now. I can't see it in him to hit anyone. When did you and I start dating again?"

"In July of '99. You were working at the hospital and I was cursed by a rogue Death Eater for switching sides at the last minute. You took care of me and I asked you out right after I was discharged," he recited with a smile playing on his lips.

Hermione willed the blush to leave her cheeks before talking again. "So he's known me through all of our problems." She gasped again. "He must have thought he was fixing things, that he was saving me from you."

"I didn't treat you badly or anything..."

"Draco, that isn't the point. He was looking in from the outside. If I ever complained to him about you when we were in the midst of a row then he would have felt like saving me, like he could have been better for me! Especially if he held a fancy for me and it was unrequited."

"What else do you remember about him?" Draco asked warily. Her reasoning made perfect sense. A possessive, psychotic moron fell head over heels for her and she didn't feel the same so he wiped her brain clean of any thing that involved her boyfriend, that way his chances shot up immensely and he could easily worm his way in.

"Nothing spectacular, just working with him at St. Mungo's and going out with him just recently."

"Has he ever asked you out before?"

She thought for a second then shook her head no. "Not that I can remember. His first time was about a month ago. Did you say anything to him before he hit you? Does he know that we're back together?"

"No," he replied quickly. "He hit me as soon as I opened the door. He doesn't know you've been spending all this time with me and he doesn't know we're back together but he does perceive me as a threat. We're going to use all that to our advantage. Hermione, I want you to go out with him one more time. I have a plan."

* * *

Wayne was overjoyed when she finally wrote him back. He was starting to think that she was just going to move on and forget about him. As much as that thought plagued his mind before, he realized just how impossible that was. He had taken precautions after all, special precautions that would ensure her attraction to him. She wouldn't be able to give him up so easily. Although, she had stayed away for so long this past week that he thought for a moment that he might have messed up somewhere.

The brain is a tricky one to fool and even though he'd put his all into fooling her, it seemed like she was putting up a modest effort. Something had to have been distracting her, otherwise she would have been sitting on his lap and running her long delicate fingers through his shaggy blonde hair, staring up at him with her big brown eyes and kissing him with her nice full, pink lips. Hopefully there would be no more interruptions and she would fall right into his hands just as planned. As long as that Malfoy punk followed his instructions to keep away from his precious gem then there would be no problem. She was going to meet him on Thursday night at McLaren's and they would catch up abd hit it off, then they would go back to her place, where she would confess her unyielding love for him and he would sexually devour her.

No one else stood in the way. Wayne was the one who had been there for her all these years. It was only logical that he should be the one warming her sheets at night and holding her hand while they slept. He was the obvious choice; the only one for her. It was about time she realized that.


	10. Chapter 10

AN: Thanks for all the support. Reviews are much appreciated.

* * *

Chapter Ten

There she was, sitting at the booth and waiting for him with all of her loveliness. Her hair was drastically shorter since the last time he had seen her but she still looked great. When she noticed that he was there she looked up at him and smiled that wonderful smile of hers, although she seemed to be a little lost. He quickly ran over to her and sat down, flashing his own pearly whites at her.

"Hermione," he breathed out before kissing her hand. "It's so good to see you. I've missed you."

Hermione chuckled and pulled her hand back nervously. Her first instinct was to dash out of the pub and go home but she had a task to complete. The madness was radiating off of Wayne in waves and she could sense it clearly, despite the fact that he looked perfectly normal on the outside. "It's — it's good to see you too, Wayne. I'm sorry about the other day. There was —" she had to stop and think of a lie to tell. If she told the truth then the plan would be ruined. "I mean, my parents called me early on. They're… moving houses."

"Don't worry about it," Wayne shrugged off. "It's over with. I'm really glad you wrote back though. It's been a crazy couple of weeks, hope I didn't scare you off there." He was drumming his two pointer fingers on the table and looking around the establishment with his eyes full of life. He was so excited to see her.

Hermione looked around the place too, but scanned the bar area specifically. She had to wait for Draco's signal before suggesting they go to her place but she really wanted to get it over with. Being around Wayne was creeping her out now that she knew the real him. "So did you plan on coming back to work next week at the regular schedule? The guy they have as my partner now is a bit loony. It's not the same without you." She was trying to speak to him normally but that was proving to be difficult. When a man decides to obsess over you to the point of taking away your memories, it becomes hard to see them as normal. Her feet were shaking under the table.

"Sure, you'll see me around. I guess in the next few weeks or so. I've got to have a word with Marie and reset my desired hours. But forget about me, how have you been? Having anymore headaches?"

She blanched and looked down. "How did you know I was having headaches?"

"Er, you mentioned it once, I think."

No she hadn't. Not once had she ever said anything to him about her consistent migraines. Now she was convinced that he was the one behind her memory loss and he was beginning to really freak her out.

"Hermione? You all right?"

She looked up at him and faked a smile, hiding just how terrified she was on the inside. "I'm fine," she said with a calmness she didn't know she was capable of. "What about me do you like, Wayne? Why did you ask me out?"

"What, are you joking?" He asked with a beaming grin. "I love everything about you. You're sweet, so damn sweet. And you smell fantastic. I'm not so much in love with that haircut. I preferred it when it was long and down your back, that way I could stroke it and comb through it with my fingers. Your eyes just draw me in and your smile, you're kind and that voice of yours makes me feel like I'm walking on air. It's angelic." He licked his lips seductively and continued rambling on with his list.

Now Hermione was officially worried for her safety. He was idolizing her, putting her up on a pedestal and he sounded like he wanted to kill her and sleep with her corpse on his bed, keeping it frozen during the day and taking it out after work for a night of necrophilic pleasure. Where the bloody hell Draco was had been a complete mystery to her. Things were getting out of hand and Hermione was fed up of all the nonsense. She needed to be saved, immediately.

Her eyes scanned the bar a few more times while politely meeting Wayne's obsessive gaze so that she could pretend to still be paying attention. Where was that damn signal? She closed her eyes for a moment and willed him to be there, willed him come and sense that she felt like she was in grave danger. Her hand tensed up when she felt Wayne grasp it and she nodded fervently when his deep voice echoed through her head, asking if she was all right. She opened her eyes and looked over at the bar once more, her heart filled with hope and fear. Just when she was about to give up, her knight with platinum blonde hair winked at her and gave her a smirk. Hermione turned to Wayne and took his hand in hers tightly.

"Wayne?"

He stopped his rant to hear her out.

"What do you say we get out of here?" she asked, keeping any trace of nervousness out of her voice. "I'm not that hungry anymore and I would really rather spend some time with you, in private…"

Wayne kissed her hand again and rubbed her cheek slowly. She tried not to shudder under his hand but a soft wince escaped her. "Whatever you say 'Mione. I was getting a little bored here anyways. Shall I leave a tip?"

She nodded to him and glanced over to Draco while Wayne fished through his pockets for change. Draco winked at her again then disappeared from sight. That one wink had been enough to send her a wave of hope. It would get her through this. All she had to do was trust in Draco.

* * *

Hermione pretended to unlock the door to her flat, knowing that Draco was already inside hiding and waiting to protect her. Wayne was behind her and was eagerly running his hand up and down her arm at her shoulder. His creepiness knew no ends, apparently.

She offered him a cup of coffee but he had declined and insisted that she give him a proper tour of her place, still touching her shoulder and moving his hands around the base of her neck. She felt suffocated, she was shivering in her own skin, constantly looking at the closed door of her unused shoe closet for signs of life. They traveled through the front room, her den, the kitchen and eating area, and finally the bedroom. She had been dreading this part all evening. The closer she headed to it, the more of a wreck she felt on the inside.

"Sure you don't want to see the bathroom? It was just recently renovated by the owners of the building. I like it a lot," she stammered in an attempt to stall for time and courage.

"No, no. I can see it in the morning when we use the wash together," he muttered with a suggestive grin, kicking his shoes off in the middle of her floor and placing his round bum on the edge of her bed. "Come join me," he said in a flat tone.

She fought the urge to place her hand over her nose. His feet stunk to high hell. She could practically see the stink lines floating off of his shoes and stained socks. As she stepped closer to the bed with caution, she gave the shoe closet another glance and took a deep breath.

"What are you looking at?" Wayne demanded. "You keep looking over there."

"Do I? It's nothing. Just a tic. I mean — go on, sit back. Relax on your back side," she said, hearing the blatant tremble to her voice. She felt like a gazelle approaching a hungry sleeping lion with a bullhorn. Every fiber in her being wanted to lock up in the bathroom and demand that he leave, but she couldn't do that. He had to be subdued. She had to hurry up and get in trouble so that Draco could save her.

Wayne sat back and laid down with anticipation. He had been waiting for this day for nearly four years. His wildest dreams and fantasies were all about to come true, at last.

Hermione climbed on top of him and rested her bosom on his chest. She kissed his neck, feeling the utter agony of the situation take her over. He moaned under her and aggressively rubbed the small of her back, grinding his pelvis up against her. She tentatively pushed her fingers through the coif of his hair and kept on kissing his neck. She kept her eyes shut tight but a tear fell from one of them regardless. A sigh left her lips and fell onto his neck. This wasn't what she wanted. Why wasn't Draco coming to her rescue? Oh, that's right. The signal. He hadn't said it yet. She went limp in an attempt to provoke him.

Wayne noticed her stop and took action of his own. His hands were all over her; on her back, up her sides, in her hair. He kissed her cheek and continued to grind under her. "What's wrong, love?"

Hermione was just about to let out a loud sob when the shoe closet door burst open.

"STUPEFY!" Draco shouted with all of his might, rendering Wayne unconscious. Several Aurors came out behind him and surrounded his body.

Hermione slid off of Wayne in a rush and scurried over to Draco, burying her head in his chest and wrapping her arms around his waist. He comforted her and watched as the Aurors searched Wayne's body for his wand. They tossed it over to Draco and he pocketed it swiftly, giving Hermione a kiss on the top of her head. It was going to be all right. They had him now.

One of the female Aurors grabbed Wayne and sat him up on a chair in the corner. She pointed her wand at him and whispered dreamily, "Rennervate," then conjured up ropes to tie him down and shoved a vail of Veritaserum down his throat. Wayne choked on the liquid but drank it anyway on instinct. "Who are you?" she said in a softer whisper.

Wayne coughed a few times then entered a coughing fit. The female Auror slapped him in the face harshly then asked him again for his identity.

Wayne held his face and winced but answered her question with forced honesty. "I am the son of two fallen Death Eaters."

"What is your real name?" the Auror asked in a never wavering tone of calmness.

"Flavio Lestrange. The one and only child of Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange."

"Where have you been hiding all this time, Flavio?"

He scoffed. "In America."

"Why?"

"As a last result, hiding on the request of my late mother and imprisoned father!"

"Where is the real Wayne Burton?" asked the female Auror in the same soft yet cold tone.

"Dead," answered Flavio with a wide grin on his face. "His body is rotting at the muggle gravesite in London under the name Tomas Handle. You can check there if you like."

She slapped him again and let a smile grace her own features. "I didn't ask you to get cheeky. What were your intentions with Miss Granger?"

"As if you really have to ask! I was going to give her a right good shagging, then kill her and keep her body locked up for my convenience so that I could have her whenever I wanted. I assure you, my days of killing mudbloods for the sake of it are long over. I simply wanted to possess her," he drawled out proudly, letting ice hang off of his last three words. "I wanted her to be mine."

Hermione knew it. She had had a feeling back at McLaren's, a feeling that told her just how messed up this guy was. "How long has Wayne been dead?" she found herself saying.

Flavio glared at her madly then grinned again. "Why dear Miss Granger, let's put it this way… you only ever met him once. I saw him meet you and I knew I could use him to get to you. Oh, it was all too easy luring him to a quiet place under the pretense that you wanted to see him. He waited there and I killed him faster than he could say the Dark One. I stole his face, his looks. I'm a metamorphagus, you see. Oh, how easy it was, taking all those memories of my precious cousin, Draco, away from you! And so much fun!"

"Take him away!" the female Auror commanded. The others complied and stupefied him again before hauling his body away to Azkaban. She walked over to Draco and Hermione and gave them a small smile. "We'll need his wand, to snap it in two at the trial. Do what you need to with it and bring it in to the Auror's Office. Don't worry, Miss Granger. He'll die in that prison," she promised before leaving.

"Yeah," Hermione said to the empty room. "He probably will. I guess I didn't know the real Wayne after all."

"Hermione," Draco prompted, turning her frontside into him and kissing her forehead gently. "Are you ready to remember?"

She sighed roughly then lifted her head to meet his eyes, then nodded slowly. "I'm ready."

* * *

AN: Not the end, one more chapter.


	11. Epilogue

AN: A collection of old memories for Hermione and then back to the present.

* * *

Epilogue

**Late July 1999**

"Hey, Hermione!" Marie Clearwater called from down the corridor. Hermione turned around and met her boss halfway. "Could you take these last few patients for me? Actually, just the one. I've got Wayne doing the other two but I have to get a head start on discharge papers for the floor upstairs. Could you help me out? I'm flooded; swamped with work! It's just a run down to check if he's feeling well enough to go in the morning." she pleaded. Marie was a stout and portly woman, but was very kind and mannerly.

Hermione nodded and took the chart gingerly from Marie's hands then waved her off as she hurried away. She glanced over the room number, the cause of injury, and headed down the hall in a rush.

Two customary knocks on the door and a swift opening later, and she was face to face with Malfoy. She almost gasped out loud but instead checked the chart to make certain that the room number matched the patient name. Draco Malfoy, right there in black ink, in Marie Clearwater's tidy, tiny scrawl. She looked back up at him and waited. For what, she wasn't sure.

There was no snarl, no negative comment, no scoff… there wasn't anything. His face was nearly blank, save for a small frown. But it wasn't directed at her. He looked genuinely upset to be in the hospital, not upset to be around her. He was lying down on the bed with his head propped up on the pillow. His line of sight went from her to the wall on the other side of the room.

Hermione reread his chart. He'd been cursed two days ago by a rogue Death Eater on the run and had been healing in the hospital ever since. The curse had hit him right in the chest, sending him flying backwards right into a brick-stone wall. There was a mild concussion, bruising, cuts, and some reverse spell damage had to be done, but besides that he would be fine after another day.

"How's your head?" she asked, trying to stay professional even though she longed to turn away from him.

He swallowed and shrugged nonchalantly. "It isn't bothering me anymore."

His voice was hardly recognizable to her. She wasn't surprised since she hadn't actually heard him speak in over a year but there was something refreshing about his tone. It was relaxed, so unlike how he usually sounded when he talked to her. She set the chart down on the bed and rested her hand on his forehead, gently running her fingers across it and moving the hairs away from his face. She didn't know what had possessed her to touch him that way but he didn't seem to mind. In fact, he looked to be enjoying her close proximity. Their eyes connected for a moment before she looked away, a blush crawling down her neck from her cheeks. "You — you seem fine to me. I think you could go home tomorrow before the evening."

"Okay," he muttered, still looking at her. Her hand had felt so soft just then. He longed for her to do it again.

"I should get back… to my other patients, I mean. You'll be all right. Just call me if… if you need anything." Hermione set off for the door, ready to rush into the hallway and exhale all the tension out of her body when she heard him calling her.

"Granger, wait!"

She didn't turn around but she knew he would find her. Feelings like the ones she had just felt in her gut didn't go away so easily. He would definitely be back, or at least she halfway hoped so.

* * *

**Mid November 1999**

Their relationship had been something of a secret, even to her closest friends and especially to his mother. Narcissa Malfoy was an unpredictable factor and her friends were completely predictable factors. She could hear in her head what they would say to her. Ron and Harry would question her sanity while Ginny would be shocked to the point of polite speechlessness.

Hermione wanted people to know how happy she was and she wanted them to know why but Draco insisted on keeping things between them on an extremely low profile. She tried to set the topic down and let it go but it was haunting her on a daily basis.

"We can't tell anyone, Granger," he said rather strictly. "Don't say a word."

Hermione sighed sadly. "It's been over a year. I don't fancy being someone's dirty little secret!"

Draco gave her a look of shock. "You aren't my dirty little secret." He went over to her and held her hand lovingly. "It's not a great idea," he went on. "Can't you imagine how things would go? It isn't about your friends or my mother. The public criticism is what I worry about."

"Why bother caring about what they think?" she exclaimed. "This is about us and our happiness. It has nothing to do with them. I can take criticism just fine, Draco!"

He shook his head. "It would get into the Prophet, people would talk. I don't have the best reputation these days and I don't want to ruin yours."

"That doesn't matter to me," she said firmly. "They don't matter. But my friends do matter to me and while their biased opinions of you won't change my mind to be with you, they still deserve to know. They keep trying to set me up! They think I'm single. This guy at work keeps asking me out! I can't tell them I'm seeing someone without giving them a name. Let me give them your name! Please…"

He was massaging her shoulders and kissing up and down her neck in an attempt to distract her from the conversation. It wasn't really working. "In due time," he promised.

"How much time?"

"Hermione, just give me some time."

That was the end of it for the meantime. She continued to see him and spend the night ever so often at his city flat, under the pretense of having to work more hours if her friends ever went looking for her at her own place. Their time together was an intimate heaven and as much as she loved being with him, it killed her that her best friends were in the dark. She understood where Draco was coming from but what was the harm in taking a chance? They couldn't be mad at her forever. The Prophet wouldn't keep them as headlines forever. Thoughts of revealing their relationship continued to haunt her but she did her best to try and keep them at bay.

* * *

**February 2000**

"I told them about you, Draco."

He stopped what he was doing and looked up at her. They were lazing about in bed on a Sunday morning and his head had been resting on her stomach, he was kissing around her naval when she spoke that nearly terrifying sentence.

"I told them that they should stop trying to set me up because I already have someone and that they'll meet you as my boyfriend on Wednesday."

"Why would you do that?" he said abruptly. "I thought we talked about this."

"We did but I don't think it's fair. These are my friends. They're people I care about. I can't lie to them, I just can't do it."

He rolled his eyes behind her back and started to nip on her earlobe. He cooed into her ear flirtatiously, "What if we just stay here in my bed all week long?"

Hermione felt that familiar rush of excitement travel to her nether region and pulled away from him before he could seduce her into changing her mind. "No, stop it. We — we can't do that," she said with a quiver to her voice, breathing ragged and roughly. "I promised them… and I can't miss work, Draco."

"Sure, you can," he insisted, rubbing her waistline and pulling her knickers down slowly. "I'll call in for you."

"Draco, don't," she pleaded, in a weak attempt to wiggle away from him.

"Don't what?" he teased, with a smirk on his face. "Don't stop?"

She gasped and moaned loudly as his finger moved from her waist to her now wet lips, prodding in and out of her center. He took his other hand and caressed her left tit while sucking on the right one jovially. She was under his control now. She knew there would be no more serious talk as long as he kept on with what he was doing, but she tried anyway. "Please, we — we've got to talk about this." It felt too damn good. Resisting was an option out the window at this point. She wanted to cum, but she needed him to be serious. She needed him to stop, but she didn't want him to. "Draco…"

He ignored her pleas and ran his tongue up her neck, reveling at her pleasured shudder. "Shhh, Granger." He kissed her cheek and gladly climbed on top of her, placing his ready member right in the middle of her thighs. "We can talk later," he claimed, as he slid right into her, not caring that her nails were digging right in his back.

Wednesday evening came and Draco was not at the agreed meeting spot. Harry, Ginny, Ron and Quinn were all waiting for Hermione's mysterious boyfriend to show up and they'd gotten bored of waiting. A couple hours later they gave up and went back home, assuring Hermione that there would be other times to meet. She rushed home as well with tears gliding down her reddened cheeks. Never in her life had she been so embarrassed before. They probably all thought that she'd made a guy up so that they would leave her alone about being with someone.

She released tear after tear into her pillow, tensing up when she heard her front door unlock with the spare key she'd giving Draco. Shortly after, he'd joined her on the bed and touched her shoulder. She was still crying and refusing to look at him.

"I'm sorry," he tried. "I couldn't."

He couldn't? What a pathetic excuse. Didn't he understand that this was hard for her too? She was the one who would have to deal with the sour blow of possible rejection from her friends. She was left with the short end of the stick. Didn't he see that?

"Hermione, really. I am sorry."

"Get out," she said into the pillow. She felt his hand lift away from her shoulder but his body weight stayed on the bed.

"Hey, I'll stay the night here this time. That way you won't have to move and I can make you feel better. Hang on, just let me—"

"Get out!" Her head lifted up from the pillow but she didn't meet his eyes. "I want you out, Draco! I can't do this anymore. You couldn't do this one thing for me, after all of the things I do for you, you couldn't be bothered to just meet us there. You're so selfish! Just the worst kind of person!"

"Hey!" he defended. "You know that isn't true. Don't be rash."

"Get out, Draco," she repeated. "It's not worth it. You aren't worth the trouble. It's over." The words left her mouth but they hadn't seemed real. It hadn't hit her that she'd actually said them until his footsteps led away towards the door and out of the house. He slammed it shut and Hermione resumed her sobbing session, feeling all kinds of regret bubble up inside of her.

* * *

**Late June 2000**

She hadn't seen him since that day when she'd finished with him.

It still hurt. Everyday it hurt a bit less but the pain was still there, raging strong throughout her body. She would cry one night a week, crying enough for a whole week until the tears wouldn't come out anymore, then she would go to sleep and dream of him coming back and begging for her forgiveness.

In the last four months, her coworker, Wayne Burton, had asked her out twice and she had harshly turned him down both times. She wasn't ready at all to start over, become intimate with another person. Draco had been her first and she had been wondering while they were together if he would end up being her last. Surely, if he couldn't commit to her enough to meet her friends then there would be no wedding, at least not anytime soon.

Thoughts like that brought up questions if he ever truly loved her. Of course he had said it, once or twice on his own. And he responded to it whenever she said it to him, but his behavior had been too reluctant, too shaky. Real love was certain and unwavering. He was supposed to have been loyal, unafraid to meet her friends if he had really loved her. Every so often she would close her eyes and see him clearly, kissing her, holding her tightly, cuddling with her at night. She wanted him back so badly but she wanted him to come to her and swear on his life that he had changed and that he wouldn't hurt her ever again. Moving on was not an option. She only ever wanted Draco.

* * *

**September 2000**

Flowers delivered by owl had appeared at her window. She accepted them and sent the owl off with a treat, tearing the card off the bouquet and reading the single line obsessively.

"Happy Birthday, Granger."

Hermione smiled and let a few tears fall before wiping her face. It was him. It had to be him. She grasped the bouquet, hugging it greedily and pretended that it was him that she was holding on to. His voice was in her ear wishing her a happy birthday, his arms were around her waist and his lips were on hers. She opened her eyes. He wasn't really there. Of course he wasn't. Damn it, why couldn't he just be there?

The doorbell rang but she ignored it. She was in no mood to see anyone. The flowers were too beautiful to waste so she put them in a vase with some water and hugged herself one more time. Missing him was like torture. Not a day went by that she didn't wish that she hadn't finished with him. She could forgive him instead, anything if it meant she could have him back. They were in love. Even if he didn't say it much, she knew that they were. She shouldn't have thrown that away.

The bell rang again, followed by a quick few knocks and another ring of the bell. She let herself go and swung the door open briskly, angrily.

Two arms swept her up into a familiar embrace just as quick as she'd opened the door, and she readily let her body pour into them. She'd been missing those arms so damn much.

He kissed her over and over on her mouth, on her cheek, her neck. "I'm sorry," he whispered in between kisses. "I was an idiot. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

Hermione pulled him indoors and dragged him into the bedroom. They were frantically all over each other and neither one of them minded. The same warmth filled her up as he rolled on top of her and graced her lips with his. This was what she wanted. She didn't need him to meet her friends. She needed him; just him. "I was asking too much of you," she breathed out. "I'm the one who should be sorry. Please, Draco," she begged. "Don't ever leave me again."

It had been way too long since he'd felt her soft and sparsely freckled skin and he nodded to her request before making sweet love to her for the first time in months.

* * *

**August 2001**

Hermione hadn't asked him to do anything concerning her friends in a long time. That place in her heart where she'd stored that need to be honest with them was getting smaller and smaller all the time. She was petrified to bring it up. A repeat performance of her last planned meet and greet was the last thing that she wanted. Her wants and needs and fears were getting jumbled up in her brain. She didn't know what was what anymore.

There had to be a way that she and Draco and her friends and his mother could coexist peacefully. She didn't want to keep it a secret anymore. They had every right to know and when they did find out, Draco would have even less of an excuse for not proposing to her. Hermione wasn't a girl to waste time.

The next night she had brought it up at dinner. They were eating at her place with muggle take out that she'd ordered. She tried casually to put the idea out there. He had tried to shut it down immediately but she wouldn't stand for it.

"This is really important to me, Draco. How are we ever going to move forward in this relationship if no one knows the relationship exists? What are you so afraid of?"

He ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. He really didn't want to talk about it again. The last time they tried talking about this it ended up in a bitter breakup. Couldn't she see that he just wasn't comfortable hanging out with her friends? "Hermione, it wouldn't work! You know deep down that it wouldn't work. Stop trying to test the waters! It will only end in disaster."

"You don't know that. We have all grown up a little since the end of the war. It doesn't have to be catastrophic. We can all be civil with one another, don't you see?"

"No, Hermione, I don't see." His frustration had reached its limit. He stood up out of his chair and adjusted his clothing. "Maybe I should just go," he murmured, more to himself than to her. "I'll see you around," he said shortly, before storming out of her flat as quickly as he could.

Hermione felt the prickling sensation of forming tears and forced herself to stop. Crying wasn't necessary. She had cried enough over him after all.

She tried to convince herself that things would be fine. He had said that he would see her later, hadn't he? They weren't breaking up over a silly little argument like that one, were they? Well, it turns out that they were. He wouldn't speak to her or answer any of her owls and she was too stubborn to go out and face him. The fault might have been hers this time but he had been irrational in his response to the mere suggestion.

Two months passed and they weren't talking yet. Wayne Burton had gone out of his way to ask her out on a date three times in that time frame. Another three months passed and still no contact from Draco, but Wayne was getting more persistent in his methods of asking her out. It was getting harder to say no but she wasn't ready to give Draco up. He was just cross with her. Afraid that she would bring up the topic again. They were still in love, weren't they?

She needed him. No one else understood her like Draco did. Wayne ended up being the listening victim to her troubles with Draco and he consoled her when she couldn't turn to anyone else. One more month went by and she was just about ready to go to him and beg for forgiveness this time, only she didn't get the chance to. Wayne got in her way tight after she clocked out from work one day and he wouldn't let her go until she heard him out properly.

* * *

**Present Day**

"Oh my god," she said, holding her head up in her hand. She was in her room again, in her flat on the bed, with Draco right in front of her, Wayne Burton — er — Flavio Lestrange's wand in hand.

"What's wrong?" Draco asked urgently. "Are you feeling all right?"

She nodded and looked up at him. He joined her on the bed and put his arm around her. "My head feels much better, actually. It doesn't hurt anymore. The migraines are gone."

"What is it?" Her smile was small but it felt good to see it on her after everything that had just happened.

"I remember now," she said quietly. "I really missed you."

He kissed her shoulder and squeezed her tightly. "I really missed you too, Granger."

"Well, you lied to me then."

Confusion spread on his face. What was she talking about? "What?"

"You said I lost faith in you because you kept standing me up with my friends. You only ever agreed to meet them once and didn't show. We talked about it another time after that and you stopped speaking to me."

He simply shrugged. "I thought you were sore with me, and I was trying to teach you a lesson. Besides, in my recollection of past events, I showered past the details. They weren't important at the time. What was important was the fact that you couldn't remember any of it happening. But you remember now, right?" He asked, his voice full of hope.

She smiled again and rested her body on his. "I do."

"Then tomorrow, when I reacquaint myself with these famous bloody mates of yours," he started, slipping a sparkling diamond ring on her finger. "You can leave all the bad parts of how we got to be engaged out and just tell them how absolutely smitten with me you are, and how they shouldn't hex me on sight because you are so very, very in love with me."

He was smirking. She couldn't see it on his face but she knew it was there. It had to be there. "I don't think I can leave it all out. And I think that after all I've been through that I deserve a proper proposal."

He sighed and got down on his knee. "You are so bloody difficult," he said, taking her hand in his. "You're demanding and you always have to be right, but you're also the most amazing witch I've ever had to pleasure of meeting. And kissing," he joked. "And loving. And having in my arms. What I mean to say," he went on. "Is that I love the way you look at me. Your stare leaves me with this feeling and it gets under my skin. I'm addicted to you, even if I don't always show it. I just can't stay away. Most people would call what we have a tad unhealthy but I don't care about them because I love you and I want you to be my wife. I especially want you to be my fiancée after this next minute so that I can rub it in Potter and Weasley's face that I got the girl they spent their teenage years having wet dreams about. I won, mostly. And ignore that last part, I'm rambling. I love you. Will you marry me?"

She giggled at his little spiel and nodded slowly, then gasped in exclamation when he took her up in his arms and kissed her on the lips. "How can I say no after a speech like that one?" she breathed out. "Just to make sure you show up tomorrow, they are going to come here. And I'm inviting your mother as well. I don't know if she'll even come but we might as well blow it all out at once."

"Hermione?"

"What?"

He grinned against her cheek before giving it another kiss. "I'd be stupid to leave now. I'm not going anywhere anytime soon. You can count on that." His eyes were full of an "I love you," but he didn't say it out loud for fear of sounding too corny.

"I know," she said, more bashfully than she'd intended. Tomorrow, everything would be out on the table. It was all going to be all right, and she knew that for certain because she was going to slip a calming draught in their tea kettle before serving. It wouldn't make everything perfect but it was definitely going to help. "I love you too."

Fin.

* * *

AN: Wow. The end. It was great, right? This'll be my last Dramione for a while but I'll definitely still be writing. I've got two stories in progress. This one will have a sequel but it won't be up for a long time. Follow me, review, read my profile for more info, whatever. The next story will be up really soon, as in right after this one probably. I really hope you guys enjoyed reading this because I really enjoyed writing it. Especially chapter ten, that was fun. Anyway, keep on keeping on. Much love,

Sky.


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